How Dirty is Generator Exhaust

[chefwong]

I have a cedar shed built for my snowblower...
Solid top , planked sides, etc.
It's breathes fairly well due to to the planked sides.

I am thinking that would be a great place for mmy generator...it's locked, I also have it alarmed - which is a + to mitigate thefts while it is running.

I'm not a OPE guru.
How dirty is that exhaust air - let's just say if it was running 10 Hrs solid in the *enclosed* shed.

Sides are planks so it breathes plenty.

It would be 2 Eu2000i - GX 100 based engines

 

[exranger06]

Dirty enough that I wouldn't set foot in that shed without an air mask after it's been running for that long...unless you modify the exhaust so that it exits outside of the shed. Get rid of the stock exhaust and fabricate a pipe that bolts to the engine and exits out the side or top of the building.

 

[KlooksKleek]

Even if your shed were to be so full of knotholes to resemble swiss cheese I can't imagine letting an engine run for hours in what would still be considered an enclosed space, while ALSO pulling in that same contaminated air for the intake, would be a good idea at all.

Heck, run it for just 15 minutes in there with the door closed, then open the door to see, and I'll bet your eyes and nose will be assaulted with the accumulated odor and toxicity.

Don't even think about doing what you proposed.

At least direct the exhaust outside the shed.

 

[The motor guy]

you wouldn't be able to breathe the whole time you're going in their to shut it off.

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Dirty enough that I wouldn't set foot in that shed without an air mask after it's been running for that long...


A mask or respirator wont do anything here. The main concern here is CO and about the only way to enter a CO enriched air environment is with a self contained breathing apparatus.

To the OP, you don't want any combustion engine running in an enclosed area. The CO (carbon monoxide) WILL kill you if there is no ventilation. Little engines like your generator are usually the most "dirty" out there. You need to have some way to exchange the air in the room. CO is pretty dangerous as it is over 200X more attracted to your hemoglobin than oxygen is and the only way to over come that bond is to let those blood cells die and generate new ones. That is why people with CO poisoning are usually in the hospital for a while, IF they survive.

 

[chefwong]

Sorry. Forgot to note. I do plan to extend the exhaust out out a bit - and then create a quasi venturi effect exchaust for the proposed location. Still....planks being slats, I suspect some air may cycle back in..

 

[AandPDan]

Originally Posted By: chefwong
Sorry. Forgot to note. I do plan to extend the exhaust out out a bit - and then create a quasi venturi effect exchaust for the proposed location. Still....planks being slats, I suspect some air may cycle back in..


Air will cycle back in. You're using up the interior air for combustion and then exhausting it so the pressure drops inside the structure. The direction of the wind can also play a role.

It's a bad idea all around.

 

[eljefino]

Rig it so you can unlock the door then pull the generator out front of the door without having to breathe in there. IE enough slack in the cords and chains and what not. Refuel it outside.

Even if you step in the shed, the man door will be open. If you pass out, you'll come to.

Rig the door so it won't blow shut on you.

Are you concerned about lingering effects like darkened wood? Check out a sausage smoke shack for what that's like.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: volk06
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Dirty enough that I wouldn't set foot in that shed without an air mask after it's been running for that long...


A mask or respirator wont do anything here. The main concern here is CO and about the only way to enter a CO enriched air environment is with a self contained breathing apparatus.

That's what I meant. One of the components of a breathing apparatus is a mask, no?

 

[Chris142]

this would be like a self appointed egr system

 

[chefwong]

It's more about figuring out options on secure options when running it at night. Option a - don't run it. Option B was the shed since it's on a Alarm Zone.....so if it was running at night, it would be somewhat secure due to the triggering of the alarm/sirens

 

[Oldwolf]

What does OPE mean? I have been seeing it around here a lot lately.

 

[chefwong]

OPE
Outdoor Power Equipment

 

[volk06]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Originally Posted By: volk06
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Dirty enough that I wouldn't set foot in that shed without an air mask after it's been running for that long...


A mask or respirator wont do anything here. The main concern here is CO and about the only way to enter a CO enriched air environment is with a self contained breathing apparatus.

That's what I meant. One of the components of a breathing apparatus is a mask, no?


I was just being technical. Its a demand flow respirator and not a mask, technically. I didn't want people thinking it was a simple "dust mask".

 

[Oldwolf]

Thanks.

 

[AandPDan]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Even if you step in the shed, the man door will be open. If you pass out, you'll come to.

Not necessarily true. In high enough concentrations only a few breaths can kill. You don't come to.

 

[surfstar]

Rig a dryer vent exhaust type connection to route the exhaust out the side or top. Not that difficult.

 

[HerrStig]

The only way that is going to work safely is to install a BIG box fan so that it pulls air INTO the shed from the other end , and never run the unit without it. Helps to cool the unit as well. I'd want to see a breeze you could fly a kite in blowing through there.

 

[Cujet]

Disregard

 

[djb]

I think people are being a little too paranoid here.

He is planning to vent the exhaust outside.

Most engines product little CO when operating normally. The output is primarily CO2, water vapor and perhaps unburnt hydrocarbons.

The issue is what happens when you operate an engine with no closed-loop control when some of their exhaust fed back into the intake, as happens in an enclosed space. The intake now has much less oxygen and significant CO2. Without free oxygen around, the CO2 is "burnt" to produce CO.

Note that CO generation doesn't always happen with smoke. People over-react to nasty smoke clouds that smell of unburnt fuel and complain they are dying of CO poisoning. In reality there is probably very little CO and minimal danger. Typical CO poisoning situations happen with heaters or charcoal fires, where there is very little noticeable smoke or odor.